Burn 16.2 Calories Per Minute With Bodyweight Exercises

Burn 16.2 calories per minute with bodyweight exercises
By Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer
101 Bodyweight exercises

In a recent study funded by the American Council of Exercise, researchers found bodyweight training can burn up to 16.2 calories per minute in men and 13 calories/minute in women.

(That's equivalent of running faster than 7 miles per hour.)

And now, almost everywhere in the world, is the best time of year for backyard bodyweight training.

Of course, bodyweight training is also perfect for those times when you are stuck indoors, like when I visit all those hotels with inadequate gyms on my travels.

Recently I stayed at hotel where the gym was so bad that the front desk attendant laughed at me when I asked where it was.

Fortunately, I was able to do a classic bodyweight workout in my hotel room.

That's where I created one of the two new "5 rounds of 5" bodyweight cardio circuits from the NEW TT Bodyweight Cardio 5 program that is now available for you to use anytime, anywhere.

Try the Bodyweight Cardio program and 101 bodyweight exercises here ==>

101 Bodyweight exercises

The 5 rounds of 5 left me dripping with sweat despite cranking the air conditioning being in the hotel room.

It's liberating to be able to ditch the equipment and use unique exercises for maximum fat loss and conditioning. That's why the bodyweight cardio program series remains so popular year after year.

Smart folks, like you, have had enough of the slow cardio propaganda. You know there is a better way, you know there are better workouts. You love the past bodyweight cardio programs and you're ready for a new challenge.

The 2nd 5 rounds of 5 challenge uses my patented "Gauntlet" exercise system and is also guaranteed to burn a lot of calories in a short time - so that you get lean and ripped.

And finally, there's even a new "Bodyweight Cardio 500" challenge workout featuring a 500-rep test of your fitness.

(Mickey's note: Based on the website, I think Craig means his Bodyweight Cardio 1000.)

Enjoy the new program.

Here's what you need to do to get started.

Just go to this page and you'll get my best bodyweight deal ever on the 101 Bodyweight Exercises System PLUS the NEW Bodyweight Cardio 5 program. Get it here:

=> 101 Bodyweight exercises

Bring on the bodyweight conditioning.






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8 Metabolism Boosters for Weight Loss - True or False?

Here's a guest post from the great Craig Ballantyne. (He pays me to say that.  ;-) ) 

Seriously, there is so much conflicting information out there and I think this article does a great job of addressing the facts and fiction of metabolism and fat loss.

8 Metabolism Boosters for Weight Loss
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
TurbulenceTraining.com 

Your metabolism is your fat loss foundation.

It keeps burning and burning fat 24 hours a day...the only problem is, do you have a fast metabolism? And if not, what can you do about it to boost your metabolism and burn fat to lose weight?

Your metabolism is basically how many calories you burn each day. Children have faster metabolic rates than adults, and we all know about the legendary metabolism's of teenage boys. That's the metabolism you wish you had.

And while it is inevitable that your metabolism decreases with age, it doesn't doom you to gaining weight. It might even decrease 30% over your life, but really, is that any reason to become overweight? No way. Not when you can turn it around with a couple of simple, proven techniques listed below...

Here are 8 possible metabolic boosters and the truth about whether each works. 

1) Strength training  

Claim: Boosts metabolism up to 10% after a training program  

True!

In fact, despite what many men and women think, harder exercise is better for your metabolism. However, please note that 1 pound of muscle does not burn 50 calories per day.

In one study, women received a greater metabolic boost from using 8 repetitions per set rather than traditional high-rep (12 reps) sets. So stick to harder exercises (pushups and more advanced bodyweight exercises) or dumbbell exercises.

2) Breakfast

Claim: Because it stops your "fasting", it can boost metabolism

True? Maybe yes, maybe no.

Your metabolism won't go into "starvation mode" without breakfast, but it is associated with successful weight loss. So make it a habit to consume some protein, fiber, & fruit (& even veggies if you can fit them in) at this time. This will keep your appetite in check till your next break or even lunch.

3) Green Tea  

Claim: Burns an extra 80 calories per day

True? Not really. It has been shown to burn 80 calories per day in young men on the first day of supplementation, but will this affect last once your body gets used to it? I don't think.

After all, take a look at caffeine. You can find studies that show it increases metabolism as well. But really, is anyone losing fat with caffeine? The revolving doors at Starbucks say "No!".

Coffee is okay in moderate doses, and I recommend Green Tea to everyone, but for health reasons, not for fat loss. The only way you will lose fat with Green Tea is if you replace a 300+-calorie Frappucino with an iced, unsweetened Green Tea. Otherwise, don't count on it for much in terms of metabolism.

4) Fat Burners

Claim: Boost your metabolism big time!

See above. Fat burners are simply caffeine pills with a few other ingredients thrown in. You'll get an increase in mental energy, but that doesn't mean it will significantly boost metabolism or burn fat.

5) Ice Cold Water with Lemon Juice Squeezed into it  

Claim: The body will burn calories warming up the water and the lemon juice also burns more fat.

Truth? Nice in theory, short in practice. Nobody is losing fat with ice cold water. If it sounds too good to be true - you know the rest of the story.

6) Eating 6 small meals per day

Claim: Boosts metabolism and can help control cholesterol.

True! Simple and effective, and true! Try and split your meals up into smaller meals that can be eaten over the course of the day. This might be part of the breakfast magic...

(Mickey's note: This particular strategy can work great for some but not for others. Some people have a tendency to consume more total calories over the course of the day if they eat 6 meals. If you're going to do this, you MUST make sure you don't end up taking in too many calories.

Also, it can't be more difficult for some women  If you're eating 1500-1800 calories per day, "meals" of 250-300 calories may never leave you feeling satisfied.

Experiment with what works for you.) 

7) Protein

Claim: Burns more calories (uses more calories in digestion than carbohydrates or fat).

True!

Now I'm not sure if this is significant, but protein also helps fill you up longer. And that's where the real benefit comes in - preventing overeating. And if you want details, another study showed that animal protein results in more energy burned than vegetable protein.

8- Interval training  

Claim: Interval training causes a greater increase in post-exercise metabolism than regular cardio.

I certainly believe it.

And I do know this. A recent study from Australia found that a shorter interval program led to more weight loss than a twice-as-long aerobic training program. This confirms the original interval training study from as far back as 1994 that showed greater results from a shorter interval program when compared to a traditional cardio program.

Bottom line: Intervals work!

So we see that hard work and diligent eating burn more calories and that magic pills and potions don't work.
But that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. My advice? Add strength, intervals, mini-meals, and protein to your weight loss plan and you'll be leaner and warmer thanks to your faster metabolism.

Turbulence Training was built to boost your metabolism,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit TurbulenceTraining.com

Why Bicep Curls Won't Give You Nice Arms

If you've read more than a few of my posts, you know I'm a proponent of compound exercises for the majority of your strength training. Generally speaking, they're more functional, they're more efficient because they use multiple muscles at one time, and they burn more calories than isolation work.

Since most of my clients are time crunched and interested in fat loss and are not body builders or figure competitors, you'll find very few isolation exercises in my programs.

That said, I'll occasionally toss in some bicep curls. My mistake. :-) The other day I had my boot campers doing some dumbbell curls, which is rare; it was actually more of a break than anything. So what happens? One of my (relatively new) campers chirps in with something like, "I vote for more bicep curls in our workouts. You can really feel that burn."

It goes back to the belief that you can spot reduce or spot tone. People think if their inner thighs burn from leg lifts, they'll get smaller or that bicep curls will give them nice arms.

It doesn't help that we got a slew of "Get Michelle Obama Arms" articles after the president was elected. Unfortunately, many of them focused on arm isolation exercises and failed to acknowledge that most Americans are overweight.

The bottom line is that to get the look that most people want, you need to get rid of the fat covering your muscles. The key to fat loss is good nutrition and challenging workouts involving multi-joint movements. Leg lifts, tricep kickbacks and bicep curls won't cut it.

Most people like doing curls and there's nothing wrong with occasionally adding them to your workout if you have extra time but don't make it a habit. There are better ways to spend your exercise time if you want results.

Craig Ballantyne's Top 5 Fat Loss Myths

I posted this article a few years ago. Unfortunately there are still way too many people spinning their wheels because of all the inaccurate B.S. floating around.

The Top 5 Fat Loss Myths
By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training

There are so many fat loss myths out there in "exercise-land" that I was hired by Men's Fitness magazine to write about one myth each month.

After all, by now you've probably heard that if you don't do 60-minutes of cardio in your fat burning zone on an empty stomach while Venus is in line with Jupiter, you'll never burn fat.

The problem with myths is that not only are they wrong and give false hope to millions of people trying to lose weight, but they also waste your time and mental effort.

I have also seen these myths used as justification for cheating on a diet, watching countless men and women justify their "treats" because they believe they are on some type of magical exercise program or nutrition plan.

I could go on for days about fitness myths, but I cut my list from 30 down to the Top 5 Fat Loss Workout Myths today. I'll save the other 25 for future newsletters.

Myth #1: You have to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

Relax. You don't have to hop on the treadmill at 4:30am every morning. Let's allow common sense to dictate when and how you exercise.

If you want to work out first thing in the morning, and I know that is the best time for many TT readers, by all means, go ahead and do it. There's nothing magical about this time - although it is often the only time many of day many people have to themselves.

We need to think "outside of the hour" of exercise and realize that calorie burning and fat burning goes on for 24-hours. Forget about the theories and look at the big picture.

It doesn't matter when you exercise - as long as you exercise intensely and consistently. Focus on relatively high-intensity workouts to increase your metabolism for as many hours after exercise as possible. That is best done with interval training and resistance training.

Myth #2: You have to do your cardio in your "fat burning zone".

Again, nonsense.

While you might burn a larger proportion of total calories as fat when you exercise in your fat burning zone, you burn fewer calories overall by exercising at such a low intensity.

When you increase your workout intensity and get out of your so-called "fat burning zone", you burn more total calories, and as a result, more fat.

In addition, the "fat burning zone" training doesn't put "turbulence" on your muscles...so you don't burn many calories in the post-exercise time period. But with interval training, you burn a significant amount of calories for hours after training, and that leads to more fat loss.

I've worked with hundreds of people that have avoided the fat burning zone while still managing to lose dozens of pounds of fat. The "fat burning zone" is one of the biggest fitness myths of all time.

Myth #3: You have to do cardio for 20 minutes before you burn fat.

When I hear this, I picture a fat-burning switch in my body that turns on only after I've been doing "cardio" for 20 minutes. But what if I only exercise for 19 minutes and 59 seconds? Are you telling me that I won't have burned any fat? That's ridiculous.

What if I did it on an empty stomach in the morning and in my target heart rate zone? (read that one sarcastically!)

I'll say it one last time. We need to be more concerned with our 24-hour metabolism, not how much fat or even how many calories are burned during the workout.

Myth 4: Drinking ice cold water will help you burn calories and lose fat.

Standing in line at the grocery store is a great place to pick up the latest fat loss myths. You'll also find this one all over the Internet.

This myth often comes along with some calculations showing that by drinking 8 glasses of ice-cold water you can burn 70 calories per day. I don't believe that actually holds true in real life. Regardless, drinking cold water is not going to burn any more fat off your body than drinking room temperature water.

Don't get me wrong, I strongly believe you should drink 12 glasses of water per day, but the temperature of your water won't have any effect on your overall fat loss success.

Myth #5: Adding one pound of muscle will burn 50 extra calories each day.

Uh-oh, now I'm cutting down a myth that supports my use of strength training in a fat loss program. But I have an obligation to set the record straight about this extremely prevalent myth (even though I just saw a big name fitness expert perpetuate this myth in a recent article!).

This myth sounds so good. Add a pound of muscle, boost your metabolism 50 calories. That doesn't seem out of line at all.

But do the math for a guy that puts on 30 pounds of muscle. Does his metabolism really increase by 1500 calories? Absolutely not. For an average guy, that would require his resting metabolism to increase from 2500 calories to 4000 calories per day. How would he be able to keep any of that muscle with a metabolism like that? He'd have to eat like a pig forever.

So when you look at the big picture, you can see this little myth start to fall apart.

That's not to say you should stop your strength training, but just don't use this myth as an excuse to cheat on your diet.

Bonus Myth: Negative Calorie Foods Cause You to Lose Weight

According to the "experts", a negative calorie food requires more energy to digest than it provides you when you eat it. And included in the negative calorie food list are apples and bananas.

So by this logic, I would actually starve to death if I had nothing to eat but apples (because I would have a net energy loss from eating a so-called "negative calorie" food).

There is no such thing as a negative calorie food.

It's a shame that people are out there promoting this stuff, and it's too bad that so many people fall for it.

Remember the old phrase, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Instead, let the common sense fat loss principles apply. It's going to take consistent effort, working hard at your workouts and with your nutrition to get the results you want.

I guarantee you that Turbulence Training will successfully guide you to the fat loss you deserve and desire.

Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training.com.

Cardio Is A Waste of Time for Fat Loss by Craig Ballantyne

While I'm on vacation I have an excellent article for you from Craig Ballantyne. If you're a member, client or regular reader of this blog, you know my opinion about using steady state cardio for fat loss.

It's hard for me to believe that there are still people who think jogging or walking is the best way to dump body fat. In fact, just the other day someone questioned Craig about it on Facebook. Long boring cardio? Fugetaboutit. Read why below...


Cardio Is A Waste of Time for Fat Loss
By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com


While the mainstream fitness media still insists that aerobic exercise is a great way to lose weight, Turbulence Training users know that interval training is the better way to burn body fat.

Still not convinced?

A recent study published by the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, subjects aged 40 to 75 were instructed to do 60 minutes of aerobic exercise per day for 6 days per week for an entire year.

Given the amount of exercise, you'd expect weight losses of 20, 30 pounds, or more, right?

Well, the surprise findings showed the average fat loss for female subjects was only 4 pounds for the entire year, while men lost 6.6 pounds of fat over the year. That's over 300 hours of aerobic exercise just to lose a measly 6 pounds of blubber. Not time well spent, in my opinion.

So what's the better way? Stick with Turbulence Training, using interval training and strength training to get better bodysculpting results. With intervals, you'll achieve more fat burning results in less workout time.

The next time you are out exercising, perform a session of interval training. If you are walking or running outside, find an incline that can challenge you for 60 seconds, then walk down for 60-120 seconds, and repeat up to 6 times.

If you walk or run on a treadmill, adjust the incline or speed to safely increase the challenge for 60 seconds, then return to the normal pace for 60-120 seconds, and repeat up to 6 times.

You can also use a rowing machine, bicycle or stationary bike, or even an elliptical machine to do intervals.

But whatever you do, stay away from boring, ineffective cardio exercise workouts and stick with Turbulence Training for your fat burning program.

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

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New 4-Week Bootcamp Session Starting

A new 4-week session of No Pink Dumbbells Bootcamp begins on Monday, August 3rd at 6:30 PM. If you are new to camp, please arrive by 6:15 to complete your health history.

Bootcamp meets Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at 6:30 PM at...

Body & Soul Fitness Studio
618 Columbia Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 509-7777

Plenty of free parking

Why bootcamp-style training?

* With No Pink Dumbbells Bootcamp you can get the instructional benefits of personal training along with the accountability, support and camaraderie of a group, at a fraction of the cost of individual personal training.

* The training is designed for women and men who want to get fit but don’t want to spend hours a day exercising.

Do you already have to be in shape?

No. The workouts will be challenging but will be adapted for the fitness level of the participants. However, if you don’t like to sweat, work hard, or breathe heavily, No Pink Dumbbells Bootcamp is not for you. If you’re looking for a magic pill or gadget that will give you a lean, toned body with no effort, please don’t enroll.

Sign up now and save!

Even with a multi-session commitment, the investment for 12 personal training sessions with me in 4 weeks is $350. You have the opportunity right now to become a member No Pink Dumbbells Bootcamp for less than half of that! The regular price for 4 weeks of boot camp training is $188. Sign up now and get the summer rate of just $158. You save almost $200 over the cost of regular personal training!

You CAN lose weight and get fit without doing hours of boring treadmill or elliptical workouts . Try bootcamp for 2 weeks; if it’s not for you, I’ll refund your money. What have you got to lose besides inches?

Don’t miss this opportunity. Whether you take action now or not, in 4 weeks you will be one month older. Will you be a few pounds heavier or 5-10 pounds lighter and closer to your ultimate goal? The choice is yours; call me today at (717) 509-7777 to register or for more information.

Interested in a mid-morning bootcamp? Please let me know.

What's Wrong With Bicep Curls?

Someone recently took issue with some advice I gave an exercise newbie on an online forum.

I basically posted that if your main goal is fat loss, I recommend 3 total body strength training sessions per week on non-consecutive days.

As I've written about before, although many of us did body part splts back in the day, many of the best fitness pros now believe total body workouts are superior for fat loss.

I also said that the majority of your exercises should be compound movements- exercises that use multiple muscles and joints. Examples would be Squats, Pulldowns, Deadlifts, Presses, Lunges, Pullups, Rows, etc.

As I stated on the thread, all of those exercises are more effective for fat loss than the type of exercises most women seem to gravitate toward - Bicep Curls, Tricep Kickbacks, Abduction / Adduction machines, etc.

One poster seemed to have a problem with my advice and along with some other comments asked, "What's wrong with Bicep Curls?"

Nothing's "wrong" with Bicep Curls, especially if people have lots of time to spend in the gym. For efficiency and fat loss, however, I recommend compound exercises- they work more muscles and burn more calories. Rows and Pulldowns will work the biceps along with the back so I prefer those over Bicep Curls, especially when time is a factor.

Does that mean that I think people should never do Bicep Curls? No but unless you're a bodybuilder or figure competitor, you're going to get more bang for your buck with compound exercises.

You'll see better results from a shorter but more challenging workout than a longer, less intense one. So, if you're primary goal is fat loss, concentrate on the exercises that will give you a bigger metabolic boost like Squats, Lunges and Deadlifts (rather than Leg Extensions and Leg Curls) and Rows, Pullups, Presses and Pulldowns (rather than Bicep Curls and Tricep Kickbacks).

Toning, Light Weights, & High Reps by Craig Ballantyne

Toning, Light Weights, & High Reps
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training for FatLoss

I guess you could say it is my mission to show people the value of intense strength training for fat loss.

Every month more research comes out to support intense training over slow cardio, and light weights. And each week, in real-life, more and more men and women (yes, women too!) see the benefits of pushing themselves with strength training.

The evidence from research and real-life continues to pile up that you need to put down those light weights and cut out those high reps.

Take really light weights, add in isolation exercises, and repeat for a large number of reps. Do this for 3, 6, or 12 months, and you're guaranteed to have the same physique you have today. This approach just does not work.

You need to step out of your comfort zone with strength training.

Research has shown using a weight that enables only 8 reps per set results in a greater post-exercise metabolism than using a weight that allows 12 reps per set. And this was in women! So lifting challenging weights is not just for men, but also for the ladies.

Another research study showed that a 30-minute, hard total-body strength training session can boost metabolism about 36 hours. You just don't get that from slow cardio or light, "toning" isolation exercises, I'm sorry to say.

But what if you are worried about "bulking up"? Just do one or two sets of 8 reps per exercise, rather than three or four.

Bodybuilders know that high-volume training builds muscle. But if you don't want massive amounts of muscle, just don't do a lot of volume. That's just one of the reasons I don't use bodybuilder workout programs for fat loss.

Another way to avoid "bulking up" while still boosting your metabolism is to use more bodyweight exercises.

As for exercise choice, say goodbye to biceps curls, hamstring curls, and triceps kickbacks. Seriously, I couldn't think of a more useless exercise for a fat loss program than triceps kickbacks.

Stick to full body movements. Use squats, lunges, split squats, pushups, chinups, rows, etc.

Remember, you don't have a lot of time to workout. So you can't be doing bodybuilding splits from the 80's that call for three exercises for the long head of the triceps, and two exercises for each of the anterior, medial, and posterior deltoid.

That's just not possible in the real-world. A pushup trains almost all those muscles, and more. It works your abs, chest, triceps, and shoulders. That's the type of exercise that is going to help you get more fat loss results in less workout time.

I train in the concept of a short time frame. That is, anyone that wants to use my programs has less than 3 hours per week to devote to structured exercise. So there just isn't much room for isolation training in that time frame.

But training should be fun too, and adding some curls as a reward for completing a hard workout is fine, but only if you want to. You don't need those types of exercises to get results.

But remember, isolation exercises are not actually going to burn fat, but they can build muscle and help you sculpt your body. Here's the list of methods that lead to fat loss, in order of importance:

i) Nutrition
ii) Burning calories with interval training
iii) Burning calories due to an increased metabolism from interval training and strength training (with multi-muscle movements)

As long as you understand that nutrition is the most important factor in fat loss, and that strength training is essential for sculpting your body, than you will have realistic expectations of success - based on how well you commit to each process.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training


About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

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How To Burn Belly Fat by Craig Ballantyne, CSCS

Although it's definitely improving, I'm always surprised at how many exercise and weight loss websites, online forums, magazines, fitness gurus, etc. are still promoting 45-60 minutes of cardio for fat loss. Not only is that not the most effective method, it's certainly not the most efficient.

Check out Craig Ballantyne's article below about the best way to blast body fat. I use Craig's style of training with my clients and highly recommend it.



How To Burn Belly Fat
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

I often get asked, What's the best way to burn fat and lose my belly? People want to know if aerobics is better than strength training, or if traditional cardio exercise is better than intervals. Cardio is not the best way to burn fat. Intervals are a better fat burning workout to burn belly fat.

With over 15 years experience helping others, training myself, training for sports, spending countless hours in the gym, AND actually conducting laboratory research studies on different exercise methods, I'm pretty confident in knowing what works and what does not.

But first of all, I want to frame my responses. I'm going to talk about what works for people that have a limited amount of time to exercise, mostly because I expect your readers don't have 90 minutes per day to devote to a workout, unlike the typical audience of a fitness magazine.

That's why there is a huge disconnect between some of the information found in magazines and the ability of the reader to apply it to their lives.

We just don't have 6-8 hours per week for exercise, nor do we need it. If you're a triathlete, you might need that, but not someone that just wants to lose fat and gain muscle.

Having said all that, the bottom line for getting a better body is...

Use bodyweight exercises to warm-up, strength training supersets to build muscle, and then finish your workout with interval training to burn fat in a short amount of time. I've structured my system so that you are in and out of the gym in 45 minutes, three times per week.

You'll do 5 minutes of bodyweight exercises to warm-up. This is a much more efficient approach than spending 5 minutes walking on a treadmill, which really doesn't prepare you for anything except more walking on a treadmill.

Then we move into the strength training supersets, where we use two exercises performed back to back with minimum rest between each. This cuts our workout time, while still giving us maximum results. We only need 20 minutes for this, and we'll use basic exercises, and sometimes even more bodyweight exercises, depending on the client's goal for muscle building.

And finally, we'll do 18 minutes of interval training. A warm-up, followed by six short intervals at the appropriate fitness level for the client, interspersed with short periods of low-intensity recovery. Finish with a cool-down. And that's the workout. Again, about 45 minutes total.

Compare that to what most people do, which is run, jog, cycle or use the cardio machines for 45 minutes straight. Sure, that will burn calories, but it doesn't build a better body.

In fact, there are a few "dark sides" to long slow cardio, including less-than-optimal results, the potential for overuse injuries, and it is an inefficient form of exercise. If you only have 30-45 minutes for your workout and you spend it all on a cardio machine, when are you going to train the rest of your muscles and sculpt a better body?

So the best way to burn belly fat is with a combination of strength training and interval training. It’s fast, it works, and it’s fun!

Compare that to what most people do, which is run, jog, cycle or use the cardio machines for 45 minutes straight. Sure, that will burn calories, but it doesn't build a better body. It might even leave you hurt!

So if you want to burn belly fat fast, drop the slow cardio and try interval training. Use strength training to sculpt your body and boost your metabolism. You'll be shocked at the results from this new way of training to burn fat and lose that belly!

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Are You Ready to Strip Down?

According to the calendar, spring is officially here. It sure didn't feel like it the last few days here in my neck of the woods, but today it has definitely warmed up.

So, are you going to spend another summer beating yourself up (and covering yourself up) because you're unhappy with your body? Or, are you going to commit to improving your health, self esteem and body composition through good nutrition and regular physical activity?

You don't have to spend hours in the gym or be obsessive about your diet to get results. But if you're looking for a magic pill or some effortless weight loss plan, you've come to the wrong blog. If you're serious about burning fat, looking better and improving your health, the healthiest and most efficient way is to exercise regularly and improve your nutrition.

If you don't have the advantage of working with me personally, I strongly suggest that you check out Craig Ballantyne's TurbulenceTraining program. I've done the workouts myself and I've used Craig's TT principles to design programs for my clients. The workouts are fast and effective and are designed to be done at home with minimal equipment.

A few weeks ago, I was listening to a Jillian Michaels radio broadcast from January and she recommended Turbulence Training to one of her callers. (For those who don't know, Jillian is one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser.) The woman has helped lots of people drop some serious weight so her endorsement means something to me.

I discovered Craig Ballantyne and TT over a year and a half ago but I'm glad Jillian has caught up. :-D Oh, and just so you know, the recommendation was totally unsolicited. Craig knew nothing about Jillian's comments until a new TT member mentioned it on the forum; she had found out about his program from the radio show.

Speaking of the forum, another really great benefit of the TurbulenceTraining system is that you get three months free access to the TT members site. That way, if you find something confusing, or have any questions about the workouts, or you don't have a stability ball and want a substitute exercise, or if you just want some tips or motivation, you can post a comment or question and Craig and other TT members will respond. When was the last time you had easy access to a book's author to ask questions?

So, summer is fast approaching. It's time to ask yourself if you're ready to get healthier, drop excess fat and be happier with your body. If you are and you're local, give me a call and let's get started. If you don't live in Amish country, check out www.TurbulenceTraining.com.

5 Fat Loss Myths by Craig Ballantyne

I read them every day on the internet. Exercise myths about not lifting weights until you lose weight, "light weight, high reps to tone", the "fat burning zone", etc. Check out Craig Ballantyne's myth-busting article for the facts.


5 Fat Loss Myths: Why Long, Slow Boring Cardio is not the Best Fat Loss Program to Increase Your Metabolism and Burn Belly Fat...
By Craig Ballantyne, Men’s Health Magazine Expert, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, and Author of Turbulence Training

Here's just one myth that Craig addresses:

Myth #4 You Have to Do Cardio for at Least 20 Minutes Before You Start Burning Fat

We’re burning fat all the time, even while you sit here and read this message. Sure, exercise increases our fat burning, but it’s not as though the first 20 minutes of any workout don’t burn fat. That makes no sense at all!...

You can find the entire article at www.TurbulenceTraining.com

How To Get The Most From Your Workout

If you are like the average person interested in dropping some body fat, improving your health and getting stronger, then follow these guidelines to get the best results from your workouts:

* Always begin a workout with a full warmup. A good dynamic warmup prepares the muscles for what’s to come and allows you to work harder and with less risk of injury. If you are short on time, cut back on your working sets, never on your warmup.

* Perform a total body workout 3 times a week with at least one day of rest in between. Forget the bodybuilding mags and their body part routines. Muscles work in groups and trying to isolate them during a workout is a waste of time for the vast majority of people.

* Concentrate on compound exercises. Exercises like Squats, Lunges, Deadlifts, Pushups, Rows, Pulldowns, Presses, etc. work multiple muscles at a time, are more functional, and burn more calories than isolation work.

* Forget about the "low weight, high reps to tone" B.S. that is still floating around out there. Challenge your muscle using a resistance that you can only perform 6-10 times with good form. (There are some exceptions, of course.)

* Make sure your strength training program is balanced between opposing muscle groups. Don't ignore exercises you don't like or do extra sets just of those that you do like. Either scenario can cause muscle imbalances.

* Choose cardio intervals over slow, steady state cardio for shorter, more productive workouts. However, limit interval training to 3 times a week, 4 if you are advanced exerciser.

* For fat loss, increased strength and energy, and overall good health, incorporate good nutrition into your lifestyle. Exercise without healthy nutrition will produce mediocre results. Remember, you can’t out-train a bad diet.

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Exercises, Reps, and How 3% Isn't Going to Help You Lose Fat

Exercises, Reps, and How 3% Isn't Going to Help You Lose Fat
By Dan Grant
dangrantfitness.com

When choosing exercises for your program you need to consider what exercises are going to be most beneficial for your goals.

What you want to do during your workouts is use as much muscle as possible. That means multi-joint exercises (squats, bench, pullups, deadlifts, rows, presses) are best because they will work more muscle then a single joint exercise (bicep curl, tricep kickback).

Take into consideration the size of your muscles as well. For example, doing squats are far more beneficial then bicep curls. Why?

Well your biceps are roughly only 3% of your entire muscle on your body. Doing the squat works over 50% of your total muscle.

So when you're thinking from a fat loss perspective, working out your bigger muscles will build you an overall greater lean muscle growth. The result of that is a higher metabolism, which is of course, what you want because you'll burn a higher amount of fat throughout the day. (My note: You will also burn more calories performing compound exercises than isolation movements because of the size and number of muscles you'll be using.)

Do I have my clients perform bicep curls? A little bit. Most of time we'll stick to 3-6 sets a week and actually push it kind of heavy for 6-10 reps.

Same thing applies with tricep specific exercises, EXCEPT we'll do 10-15 reps because I've found that the stress put on the elbow joints doing a heavier weight under 10 reps increases the risk of injury by a fair bit.

Generally we'll stick between 6-12 reps for most exercises but I'm going to mention that in the next email.

hope that helps,

Cheers,

Dan Grant
dangrantfitness.com

PS - Remember, look at the pros and cons of what you're doing. If it's increasing the risk of injury then re-evaluate. That's why i rarely do long cardio with my clients and it's also the reason we stick with over 10 reps for lying tricep extensions.

Exercises, Reps, and how 3% isn't going to help you lose fat

Get Professional Help

Would you defend yourself in court, install your own roof or pull your own infected tooth? Most of us would not. So, why do the majority of people insist on cobbling together their own fitness program rather than having a routine designed specifically for them by a qualified fitness coach?

When someone decides to start exercising, I'm sure they want to get results. Most people are busy and want to get the most benefit from their time. And yet they spin their wheels spending hours each week on the cardio equipment exercising in the mythical fat burning zone, or using programs like they did in high school, or buying worthless gizmos that promise you six-pack abs in 5 minutes a day.

The $59 + shipping you wasted on "fat burning" pills or gimmicks masquerading as exercise equipment would probably have paid for two personal training sessions. Instead of a dust-collector, you could have invested in a well designed strength training program and proper instruction on good form.

When people think of personal training, most still envision working one-on-one with a trainer every workout. Some people do that but that's a choice; it's absolutely not a necessity.

If you are a novice interested in joining a gym, find one where you get some individual attention and instruction. Is saving a few bucks on membership worth it if you quit because you feel overwhelmed, intimidated and/or frustrated by your lack of results?

If you want to work out at home, hire a fitness coach for a few sessions to get you set up on a solid, effective and balanced exercise program.

Regardless of where you exercise, for best results, meet with your trainer every 4-6 weeks to change your routine.

If you want to get optimum results for your efforts, get professional help. Seriously.
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3 Tips to Burn Belly Fat Fast

Here is a terrific article from Dan Grant.

No gimmicks, no magic formulas, no B.S., just straight talk about how to get the results you want. I couldn't have said it any better myself so I won't. :-)


3 Tips to Burn Belly Fat Fast

The Top 5 Fat Loss Myths - Craig Ballantyne

I hope everyone is having a happy and healthy holiday season. But I'm no fool and I know that many people are overdoing the parties and eating too many Christmas cookies. In less than a week, millions of people will resolve to "lose weight", "get in shape", etc. Unfortunately, most people are terribly uninformed when it comes to current research on effective fat loss.

Here's an excellent article on The Top 5 Fat Loss Myths from Craig Ballantyne, creator of Turbulence Training. This guy knows his stuff.

The Top 5 Fat Loss Myths
By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training

There are so many fat loss myths out there in "exercise-land" that I was hired by Men's Fitness magazine to write about one myth each month.

After all, by now you've probably heard that if you don't do 60-minutes of cardio in your fat burning zone on an empty stomach while Venus is in line with Jupiter, you'll never burn fat.

The problem with myths is that not only are they wrong and give false hope to millions of people trying to lose weight, but they also waste your time and mental effort.

I have also seen these myths used as justification for cheating on a diet, watching countless men and women justify their "treats" because they believe they are on some type of magical exercise program or nutrition plan.

I could go on for days about fitness myths, but I cut my list from 30 down to the Top 5 Fat Loss Workout Myths today. I'll save the other 25 for future newsletters.

Myth #1: You have to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

Relax. You don't have to hop on the treadmill at 4:30am every morning. Let's allow common sense to dictate when and how you exercise.

If you want to work out first thing in the morning, and I know that is the best time for many TT readers, by all means, go ahead and do it. There's nothing magical about this time - although it is often the only time many of day many people have to themselves.

We need to think "outside of the hour" of exercise and realize that calorie burning and fat burning goes on for 24-hours. Forget about the theories and look at the big picture.

It doesn't matter when you exercise - as long as you exercise intensely and consistently. Focus on relatively high-intensity workouts to increase your metabolism for as many hours after exercise as possible. That is best done with interval training and resistance training.

Myth #2: You have to do your cardio in your "fat burning zone".

Again, nonsense.

While you might burn a larger proportion of total calories as fat when you exercise in your fat burning zone, you burn fewer calories overall by exercising at such a low intensity.

When you increase your workout intensity and get out of your so-called "fat burning zone", you burn more total calories, and as a result, more fat.

In addition, the "fat burning zone" training doesn't put "turbulence" on your muscles...so you don't burn many calories in the post-exercise time period. But with interval training, you burn a significant amount of calories for hours after training, and that leads to more fat loss.

I've worked with hundreds of people that have avoided the fat burning zone while still managing to lose dozens of pounds of fat. The "fat burning zone" is one of the biggest fitness myths of all time.

Myth #3: You have to do cardio for 20 minutes before you burn fat.

When I hear this, I picture a fat-burning switch in my body that turns on only after I've been doing "cardio" for 20 minutes. But what if I only exercise for 19 minutes and 59 seconds? Are you telling me that I won't have burned any fat? That's ridiculous.

What if I did it on an empty stomach in the morning and in my target heart rate zone? (read that one sarcastically!)

I'll say it one last time. We need to be more concerned with our 24-hour metabolism, not how much fat or even how many calories are burned during the workout.

Myth 4: Drinking ice cold water will help you burn calories and lose fat.

Standing in line at the grocery store is a great place to pick up the latest fat loss myths. You'll also find this one all over the Internet.

This myth often comes along with some calculations showing that by drinking 8 glasses of ice-cold water you can burn 70 calories per day. I don't believe that actually holds true in real life. Regardless, drinking cold water is not going to burn any more fat off your body than drinking room temperature water.

Don't get me wrong, I strongly believe you should drink 12 glasses of water per day, but the temperature of your water won't have any effect on your overall fat loss success.

Myth #5: Adding one pound of muscle will burn 50 extra calories each day.

Uh-oh, now I'm cutting down a myth that supports my use of strength training in a fat loss program. But I have an obligation to set the record straight about this extremely prevalent myth (even though I just saw a big name fitness expert perpetuate this myth in a recent article!).

This myth sounds so good. Add a pound ouf muscle, boost your metabolism 50 calories. That doesn't seem out of line at all.

But do the math for a guy that puts on 30 pounds of muscle. Does his metabolism really increase by 1500 calories? Absolutely not. For an average guy, that would require his resting metabolism to increase from 2500 calories to 4000 calories per day. How would he be able to keep any of that muscle with a metabolism like that? He'd have to eat like a pig forever.

So when you look at the big picture, you can see this little myth start to fall apart.

That's not to say you should stop your strength training, but just don't use this myth as an excuse to cheat on your diet.

Bonus Myth: Negative Calorie Foods Cause You to Lose Weight

According to the "experts", a negative calorie food requires more energy to digest than it provides you when you eat it. And included in the negative calorie food list are apples and bananas.

So by this logic, I would actually starve to death if I had nothing to eat but apples (because I would have a net energy loss from eating a so-called "negative calorie" food).

There is no such thing as a negative calorie food.

It's a shame that people are out there promoting this stuff, and it's too bad that so many people fall for it.

Remember the old phrase, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Instead, let the common sense fat loss principles apply. It's going to take consistent effort, working hard at your workouts and with your nutrition to get the results you want.

I guarantee you that Turbulence Training will successfully guide you to the fat loss you deserve and desire.

Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training.com.